1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a motorcycle and more particularly to a motorcycle having a fairing covering front and side portions of the motorcycle for protecting a motorcycle frame and an engine and reducing air resistance produced while the motorcycle is running.
2. Description of the Relevant Art:
One typical motorcycle fairing is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60/67280. The disclosed fairing covers a front area of the handlebar and extends around the head lamp and along opposite sides of the engine. The fairing has a ram air inlet opening defined in its front panel for introducing ram air toward the engine. Ram air inlet and outlet ports are also defined in lateral side walls or panels of the fairing for cooling the engine with high efficiency. Ram air is drawn through the ram air inlet ports to cool the engine, and ram air heated by a radiator is discharged through the ram air outlet ports outwardly and rearwardly of the fairing. The fairing comprises a plurality of separate fairing members of suitable shapes formed of synthetic resin by injection molding and interconnected by screws.
Another motorcycle fairing assembly disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60/146771 discharges ram air that has cooled the engine from a rear portion of the motorcycle on which the fairing assembly is mounted. The disclosed fairing assembly comprises a fairing of synthetic resin covering a front area of the handlebar and extending around the head lamp and along opposite sides of the engine, and a pair of laterally spaced side covers disposed behind the fairing and covering an area below the rider's seat. The side covers have front ends bent outwardly and joined to the rear end of the fairing. Ram air which has been heated by cooling the engine flows from within the fairing and inside of the side covers and is discharged rearwardly of the motorcycle without touching the feet of the rider sitting on the seat.
The known fairings have upper free ends which are not joined to the motorcycle frame. The fairings which are made of synthetic resin, for reasons of appearance and cost, undersirably produce considerable noise while the motorcycle is running because the fairings tend to vibrate in resonance with ram air or engine vibration. Vibration of the fairings, which takes place at all times while the motorcycle is running, is also undersirable fron the standpoint of durability.
With the motorcycle fairing assembly disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60/146771, it is necessary to fasten the fairing and the side covers to the motorcycle frame, and then to join the fairing and the side covers. However, the process of fastening and joining the fairing and the side covers is tedious and time-consuming, and the number of joint parts is large.